Heart Health Lab Panel LabCorp

The physicians at Defy Medical have customized a panel of blood tests to provide a thorough assessment of cardiovascular health. This Heart Health Panel will include the following tests: 

• NMR LipoProfile® with IR (Insulin Resistance) Markers - An advanced cardiovascular diagnostic test that uses nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to uniquely provide rapid, simultaneous, and direct measurement of Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) particle number and size of LDL particles; as well as direct measurement of High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) and Very Low Density Lipoprotein (VLDL) subclasses. This detailed lipoprotein particle information allows clinicians to make more effective, individualized treatment decisions than previously possible based on standard lipid panel testing. The atherosclerotic culprit is LDL particle number, not LDL cholesterol. 

• C-Reactive Protein (CRP), High Sensitivity (Cardiac Risk Assessment) - This testing may add to the predictive value of other markers used to assess the risk of cardiovascular and peripheral vascular disease. Increases in CRP values are nonspecific. CRP is an indicator of a wide range of disease processes and should not be interpreted without a complete clinical history. Recent medical events resulting in tissue injury, infections, or inflammation, which may cause elevated CRP levels, should also be considered when interpreting results. Serial analysis of CRP should not be used to monitor the effects of treatment. 

• Homocyst(e)ine, Plasma - Homocysteine is a chemical in the blood that is produced when an amino acid (a building block of protein) called methionine is broken down in the body. We all have some homocysteine in our blood. Elevated homocysteine levels (also called homocysteinemia) may cause irritation of the blood vessels. Elevated levels of homocysteine show an increased risk for (1) hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis), which could eventually result in a heart attack and/or stroke, and (2) blood clots in the veins, referred to as venous thrombosis. 

• Lipoprotein(a) - The Lipoprotein(a) test is used in conjunction with a clinical evaluation to determine the risk for coronary heart disease. Note: Intake of alcohol, aspirin, niacin, and estrogen supplements have the potential of causing a misrepresentation of true Lp(a) concentrations. 

• Hemoglobin A1c - A Hemoglobin A1c test is used to evaluate glucose levels in the bloodstream over 2-3 months prior to having the test completed. This test is very important to monitor in Diabetes management. Scientists believe that keeping blood sugar in the body within a normal range can help individuals with diabetes avoid many of the associated risks and side effects that they often face. The benefit of the hemoglobin A1c blood test is that it provides information on overall glycemic health over a several month period. Other blood tests that measure glucose levels are highly sensitive for determining blood sugar levels at the time that the test is taken; although they do not give information on average glucose levels (which HgB A1c does). 

• IGF- 1 (Insulin-like Growth Factor 1) - IGF-1 is used as a biomarker for blood levels of human growth hormone (hGH). Blood levels of IGF-1 appear to be constant over 24 hours and are found to be related to growth hormone secretion. It is a hormone produced by the liver and other tissues, which affects growth-promoting activities and glucose metabolism. Since IGF-1 is related to the production and secretion of hGH, many doctors use this measurement to assess growth hormone status.